CHENNAI: The death of an eight-month-old foetus after a pregnant woman was referred from the Urban Community Health Centre (UCHC) at Kannagi Nagar to the Government Kasturba Gandhi Hospital for Women and Children in Triplicane has triggered protests by relatives, residents and renewed concerns over the availability of specialist doctors at the facility.
S Mercy (33) was admitted to the Kannagi Nagar UCHC around 11 am on Tuesday. After preliminary examinations, doctors referred her to the Government Kasturba Gandhi Hospital for Women and Children. However, according to her family, she had to wait nearly an hour for an ambulance before being shifted to the referral hospital, where she arrived around 1 pm.
Doctors at the hospital informed the family that the foetus had died before arrival. Mercy was admitted to the ICU, and her condition was reported to be improving on Wednesday.
The incident sparked protests outside the UCHC on Tuesday night, with relatives and residents alleging that the absence of a full-time gynaecologist at the facility led to the tragedy. They claimed this was the second such incident at the centre.
M Stephan, Mercy's husband, alleged that while the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) advertises the facility as providing round-the-clock maternity services, gynaecologists are available only on three days a week.
He said his wife first visited the health centre on Monday night after experiencing mild pain. Doctors reportedly informed them that the discomfort was normal and that her expected delivery date was still about a month away. The family was also asked about their plans for delivery, prompting them to choose the Kannagi Nagar UCHC instead of travelling to hospitals much farther away.
According to Stephan, the couple returned to the centre around 10.30 am on Tuesday after Mercy experienced increased pain. He said scans and tests initially indicated that the baby was fine before doctors referred her to the Triplicane hospital. He alleged that the ambulance took about an hour to arrive, delaying the transfer.
Residents who joined the protest demanded improved medical infrastructure and permanent specialist services at the UCHC. K Murugan, a resident, urged the GCC to ensure round-the-clock availability of gynaecologists and increase the number of doctors at the facility.
Government Kasturba Gandhi Hospital for Women and Children, Director of Social Obstetrics, Dr NK Mahalakshmi, said Mercy had delivered her first child through a C-section at the hospital three years ago and was carrying her second child. She explained that the patient was suffering from internal bleeding, which had manifested as abdominal pain.
The dean said doctors at the Kannagi Nagar facility referred the patient after scans indicated changes in foetal movement. She added that the woman reached the hospital about an hour later and received blood transfusions. Her condition is now stable and improving.
The Greater Chennai Corporation said the UCHC has three doctors, eight nurses, two maternity assistants, two laboratory technicians, a pharmacist, an assistant and 10 female cleanliness workers. It confirmed that a gynaecologist is posted at the centre only three days a week.
The corporation said Mercy visited the UCHC on June 8 with abdominal discomfort and was found to have normal vital signs and foetal heart rate. When she returned on June 9 with persistent pain, she was referred by ambulance to the Government Kasturba Gandhi Hospital because of her preterm pregnancy and previous C-section history.
According to the Corporation, doctors at the referral hospital performed a C-section and delivered a stillborn baby weighing 2.2 kg. The stillbirth was attributed to placental abruption. The statement added that the mother remains stable and that three doctors were on duty at the UCHC and had provided appropriate care. It described reports suggesting otherwise as false.